Reports

Fairview
Hi everyone! The weavers at Fairview are coming down off their high of hosting the fall conference. We simply had a great time and we learned so much. We hope the same applies to all of you who attended. I received a lovely card from Nadine Sanders thanking us for a great time. I am sending some pictures of all of you waulking! (You'll get yours too Jill and Joan!) At the Fairview Fine Arts Centre, we're weaving away. Verla has just finished her double-sided rug. Ellen is taking a turn at it next. Verla is moving on to do the last baby afghan. We're trying a different set-up and treadling a little differently with each afghan. We'll see what has happened once we take it off--hopefully before Christmas. And of course Maisie, Ellen, Loretta and I are finishing our samples from the weekend with the Singing Weaver! Brittany is starting to weave on the four-harness loom with a small project of completing the mug-rugs that have been warped for a fairly long time. Loretta has warped a beautiful shawl, a pretty fushia. She's got it on the loom and is ready to thread the heddles. She's trying a double weave. Maisie is supervising. She has finished her place mats and is looking for some other things to do. Maisie always makes sure to make a pot of tea, so that we spend some time socializing as well as weaving! May you all have a Merry Christmas. Hoping the new year sees all of you busy at your looms. (I know that you say "tight lines" when you're fishing. What do you say to wish someone well at their weaving?)
Doreen Verschoor


Hudson's Hope
Hudson's Hope has seen a decline in our numbers this year and with members going their own way more often than not, it has been difficult to find a time that is convenient for all. Still we have managed to get together a couple of times. Several of us got together for a day of paper making at Lizzie's house in late August and had a great time squishing paper pulp into usable paper for Christmas cards in greens, blues, and reds. What fun! It was like we were in Kindergarten again. That was a step away from our usual activities. Both Lizzie and Frankie have been having fun on rigid heddle looms. Lizzie, who puts us all to shame, pumped out a cotton table runner in no time at all while Frankie managed a few mug rugs. Anita finished spinning yarn and dyeing it with natural dyes, for a shawl which she donated to St. Peter's Church for their Christmas raffle. Lizzie finished a number of hats and mittens in time for the annual craft sale. Meanwhile Frankie finished spinning the yarn for a pair of knitted lace gloves and has finished one glove and is working on the other. She is also spinning a black alpaca/wool yarn for a jacket commission. In between, she is also working on learning to spin cotton on her new charkha. Arla has been practicing her spinning... and continues to learn. Valerie and Carol, we hope, can get back to coming regularly to our guild. Our Christmas gift exchange will be held on Dec 14th and we are inviting the Knock-Out Knitters to join us this year. Happy spinning and Happy Christmas.

Fort St. John
Hi everybody, I hope everyone has had a nice autumn. It sure has been a busy autumn in our neck of the woods. Cheryl Peebles has stepped down as president of our guild and Rene Giesbrecht is our standing president until next month when we will have an unscheduled election for a new president. Fay is continuing on as our project manager and she is doing a great job as projects continue to roll off the looms at the Artpost 2. Rene and Jill warped a loom for a double weave blanket and Rene has finished hers and now Jill is working on her double weave blanket. As well, there were some lovely shawls that woven on the 36" floor loom the last of which is being woven now. Several of the guild participated in producing shawls, some of which will be donated to the Maopi Transition House For Women. Krista and Norma are preparing a warp for acrylic double weave shopping bags as a group project and the colours reflect a forest theme. Faye has been dyeing cotton and preparing the warp for a double weave blanket project that she and Norma will weave on the 60" loom. An open house was held at the Artspost on October 17th and a good time was had by all who attended. We worked on decorations for the Arts Council Christmas Wreath while there were also demonstrations in double weave as well as spinning. Once the NPSW completed a Christmas wreath, with the theme being the year of Astronomy and the Year of Natural Fibres, it was donated to the Arts Council in Fort St. John for their annual Christmas fundraiser. We are all looking forward to our annual Christmas gift exchange which will be held at Rene's home on Dec. 19th. The theme of the gift exchange this year is "funky totes" so it should be fun to see all the creative outcomes of that event. We are also planning a workshop for March with Michelle Boyd who will be teaching us spinning techniques for Superior Socks with a seminar on Recycling For Handspinners. Also, work is progressing on Fall Conference plans with the Jane Stafford workshop. You will be able to find information on that further along in this newsletter. With all the activities of this diverse group it is hard to keep up with what everyone is doing. Recently Anita McWilliams, who at 86 years of age and has been a member of this guild for many long years, was voted into to our guild as a lifetime member. We are sorry to say that she has met with a vehicle accident. She is recuperating in Fort St. John Hospital and is hoping to be home soon. Because she couldn't write this piece as she normally does, I (Frankie) am filling in for her. We all hope she gets well soon. Meanwhile there has been a parting of the ways between the North Peace Spinners and Weavers and the Hudson's Hope Spinners and Weavers but we will keep an informal connection as most of the spinners in Hudson's Hope look forward to the annual get-togethers that the two groups enjoy. I hope you will join the NPSW in wishing Hudson's Hope luck as they step out on their own.

With all the white stuff on the ground we wish you all a joyful Christmas season with lots of white fluffy stuff in your spinning and weaving.... that would be wool not snow!


Hines Creek

Our Arts & Crafts club is gearing up for the Winter season of activities. Hilda finished her weaving on the table loom and has lovely placemats and hotpads. I’m getting ready to start weaving again after cataract surgery. I have been braiding DMC mercerized cotton thread – Kumihimo on-a-card – with thoughts of using them in necklaces.
May your activities for the Advent season be fruitful and enjoyable, and may Christmas celebrations with family and friends bring you joy and love.

Lorena Vass

Saskatoon Lake Weavers
Looking out on the diamonds in the snow makes us realize that Christmas is almost upon us. Our group has been busy with hand towels, afghans, tea towels, pillow covers, place mats, and yardage.

Verna May is winding warp for yardage with wool and silk, The colours are beautiful, blues, gold,and green. A challenge.

Joan is working on place mats, with a different pattern in each one, Swedish style.

Mae is threading a Shetland and Mohair afghan in three colours, lavender, beige, and sea green.

Shannon is working on a pillow case using various exotic yarns to highlight the pattern. beautiful!

Marion just completed a beautiful baby afghan for her soon to arrive grandchild.

Bev completed two baby afghans using mixed yarns. Boucle and smooth. Very attractive. Bev is off to Arizona. We will miss her.

Gudrun is working on tea towels.

We are planning our Christmas projects and the Spring Conference here. Think about bringing your pieces for the friendship quilt to the Spring Conference.

Happy Weaving!
submitted by Mae Trelle

Dawson Creek Spinners and Weavers
There is not much activity with the Dawson Creek Spinners and Weavers. All of the equipment has been removed from the Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre and is being stored by the members. There is hope that at some point there will be a new location for us to meet but for now we all work out of our home. Casey's leadership is very much missed.
submitted by Barb Bohn via phone.

Beaverlodge
Hello all You Weavers,

The Beaverlodge Weaving club is just getting started and some of the projects are familiar from previous letters.

There was a major problem in the basement of the Cultural Centre. A hot water heater had malfunctioned and the floor was under some inches of water. The chip rock had to be replaced up to 2 feet and there was mold, a very unhealthy situation. It has now been repaired and the club is just getting started.

One of the 60" looms is being dressed for heavy rayon-chenille weft on a cotton warp. The christening blankets are being tied on and seem to be a perennial favourite.

Some weavers are exited about bamboo yarn, very soft and it seems well liked. Is it GREEN, ?, are we going in the right direction.

Personally I am weaving a scarf in merino, plaid, trying to keep my hand in some of the weaving. I am using up existing stocks, but I will have to get very old if I want to weave it all up, maybe 102 !!

Marjorie and I are doing reasonably well, looking forward to Christmas with family in Victoria and Vancouver.

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy and Productive New Year, with lots of creative weaving, spinning and dying.

Marjorie and George Henn